This backyard scene shows good news — rain on July 22! — and bad news.
See that brown trailing indigo behind the flower pot with the ceramic flower? That indigo might be viewed as the bearer of bad news. Let me explain.
We’ve been in drought since August 2024 and guess who should have been watering that indigo during the dry period? Me, that’s who! And that indigo looks pretty darn dead.
But let’s toggle back to the good news side of the equation. I am irrigating this indigo with condensate water from my air conditioner. The water flows out to the plant via a garden hose — and the indigo is doing an excellent job of hiding that hose.
It’s also hiding the new indigo growth. Yes, there is some. And I’m keeping the old, dead-looking indigo in place to provide shade from Tucson’s searing summer sun.
If that dead-looking stuff makes a comeback, great! If not, it’ll be as gone as the rosemary in my front water. I killed that plant by neglecting to water it during this drought.
Since this is a post about killing plants — and continuing to water them — permit me to explain that rock berm in the foreground. That’s where the Martha-killed indigo used to be.
In this week’s podcast episode, I explain exactly how I killed it.
Spoiler alert: I think I cut the roots by accident.
Another Learning Opportunity!
Check out Martha’s new audiobook and eBook, Water Harvesting 101. It will help you get your water harvesting journey off to a strong start.